matr

mother

Quick Summary

The Latin root matr means “mother.” This Latin root is the word origin of a good number of English vocabulary words, including matriarch, material, and matter. The root matr is easily recalled via the word maternal, for a woman who acts in a maternal fashion is being “motherly.”

Mother Matr Does Matter

The root matr means “mother.” As you will soon see, this root really matters when it comes to English vocabulary!

Have you ever visited the maternity ward at a hospital? This is for new “mothers” who are experiencing "mother"hood with a newly born infant. When an infant is born, maternal or “motherly” feelings come to the forefront. Maternity and maternal feelings are often not far from matrimony, the state of being married or the marriage itself after which women often decide to become “mothers” in order to raise a family.

A material or materials are the “mothers” from which things can be built or made. This is similar to the word matter, the “mother” of or building blocks from which all materials in the physical world arise; as a “mother” gives material shape to her children, so too does matter give shape to the things of the world. A matrix is the “mother” or womb from which things develop or originate; in the film The Matrix, machines are the creators or “mothers” of a simulated reality that takes advantage of humans. A matrix is more commonly a “mother” of sorts from which things develop or originate.

A matriarch is a “mother” who rules a society or group. A matron, on the other hand, is a mature married woman of a secure societal position who is usually a “mother.” And last but not least, when you matriculate into a school, that school becomes your “mother,” just like a “mother” nourishes, cares for, and educates her children.

Now that we have learned plenty of material on what matters about “mother,” go and thank your own “mother” for taking such good care of you!

  1. maternity: "mother"hood
  2. maternal: of a “mother”
  3. matrimony: state of marriage conducive to becoming a “mother”
  4. material: the “mother” of construction
  5. matter: the “mother” of all material
  6. matrix: a “mother” from which things arise
  7. matriarch: a ruler who is a “mother”
  8. matron: dignified “mother”
  9. matriculate: to enter into a school which cares for you like a “mother” would

Usage

  • matriarch

    A matriarch is an older and powerful woman who controls a family, community, or other social group.

  • material

    having substance or capable of being treated as fact

  • materialism

    a desire for wealth and material possessions with little interest in ethical or spiritual matters

  • maternal

    characteristic of a mother

  • maternity

    the state of being pregnant

  • matriarchy

    a form of social organization in which a female is the family head and title is traced through the female line

  • matrices

    (mathematics) a rectangular array of quantities or expressions set out by rows and columns

  • matricidal

    Of or pertaining to matricide.

  • matricide

    a person who murders their mother

  • matriculate

    enroll as a student

  • matrimony

    the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)

  • matron

    a married woman (usually middle-aged with children) who is staid and dignified

  • matronly

    befitting or characteristic of a fully mature woman

  • matter

    that which has mass and occupies space

Related Word Parts

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